Mini impatiens plant named &#39;immivoil&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of mini  Impatiens  plant characterised by its small red purple flowers, freely flowering habit, dark green foliage, and bushy shaped growth habit with excellent basal branching.

LATIN NAME OF THE GENUS AND SPECIES OF THE PLANT CLAIMED

Impatiens walleriana

VARIETAL DENOMINATION

‘Immivoil’

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new and distinct mini Impatiens plant botanically known as Impatiens walleriana and referred to by the cultivar name ‘Immivoil.’

The new cultivar was developed in a controlled breeding program in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new mini Impatiens cultivar is characterized by small red purple flowers, freely flowering habit, dark green foliage, and bushy shaped growth habit with excellent basal branching.

The new cultivar is propagated from cuttings resulting from the cross in March 1999 of the proprietary mini Impatiens selection identified as ‘Q138-4’ as female parent and the proprietary mini Impatiens selection identified as ‘Q138-3’ as male parent. ‘Q138-4’ is not commercially available and has not been patented. ‘Q138-3’ is not commercially available and has not been patented.

The present cultivar was selected in August 1999 in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings over a period of several years. The distinctive characteristics of this new mini Impatiens are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce a finished plant, starting from a rooted plug and planted in a 10 cm pot depending on the temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Immiviol.’ These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Immiviol’ as a new and distinct mini Impatiens cultivar:

-   -   1. Small red purple flowers     -   2. Bushy shaped growth habit with many flowers on top of the         foliage     -   3. Dark green foliage     -   4. Excellent basal branching

Plants of the new mini Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new mini Impatiens have small red purple flowers, whereas the plants of the female have large red purple flowers.

Plants of the new mini Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the mini Impatiens have small red purple flowers, whereas the plants of the male have large red purple flowers.

Plants of the new mini Impatiens can be compared to plants of ‘Fify violet’ disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,557. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the inventor in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, the plants of the new mini Impatiens differed from plants of the cultivar ‘Fify violet’ in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new mini Impatiens have dark green leaves, whereas plants of the cultivar ‘Fify red’ have green leaves

2. Plants of the new mini Impatiens have red purple flowers, whereas the cultivar ‘Fify violet’ has medium red purple flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new mini Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new mini Impatiens. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 20 week old plants, blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the laboratory under ambient light. Color references are primarily to the RHS Color Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

-   The plant:     -   -   Classification — Botanical.—Impatiens walleriana. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection             identified as code number ‘Q138-4,’ not patented.         -   Male parent.—Proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection             identified as code number ‘Q138-3,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About 10-21 days at 22-23 degrees C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 28 days at 16-24             degrees C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, upright, outwardly spreading             and mounded plant habit.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Moderately vigorous and freely             branching growth habit lateral branches potentially forming             at every node, dense and bushy shaped growth habit. Pinching             enhances branching.         -   Plant height.—About 10 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 23 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—About 7 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 5 mm.         -   Internode length.—About 5-20 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 147B Yellow-green with a few stripes anthocyanic             RHS 64A Red-purple. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.         -   Length.—About 2 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.3 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Slightly crenate with minute ciliation.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing and fully expanded foliage, Upper surface:             RHS 137A Green Developing and fully expanded foliage, Lower             surface: RHS 137C Green.         -   Venation, upper and lower surfaces.—RHS 147B Yellow-green. -   Petiole:     -   -   Length.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 2 mm.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 147C Yellow-green. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and habit.—Numerous small single flowers Flowers             arise from leaf axils Freely flowering, usually about 40             flowers and flower buds per lateral branch.         -   Flower position.—Above the foliage and typically face             upright or outward.         -   Flowers lasting.—About 5-7 days on the plant under             greenhouse conditions.         -   Flowers.—Persistent and not fragrant.         -   Flowering season.—Continuous through the spring and summer. -   Flower size:     -   -   Height.—About 2 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1.5-2.0 cm.         -   Depth.—About 5 mm. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Length.—About 7 mm.         -   Diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Shape.—Ovoid.         -   Color.—RHS 146D Yellow-green with RHS64B Red-purple. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—Five per flower in a single whorl.         -   Length, banner petal.—About 1 cm.         -   Length, lateral petals.—About 1 cm.         -   Length, basal petals.—About 1.2 cm.         -   Width, banner petal.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Width, lateral petals.—About 7 mm.         -   Width, basal petals.—About 9 mm.         -   Shape.—Obovate to ovate.         -   Apex.—Rounded or slightly emarginate.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—When opening, upper surface: RHS 61A Red-purple —             When opening, lower surface: RHS 71B Red-purple — Fully             opened, banner petal, upper surface: RHS 61A Red-purple —             Fully opened, lateral petals, upper surface: RHS 61A             Red-purple — Fully opened, basal petals, upper surface: RHS             61A Red-purple — Fully opened, lower surface: RHS 71B             Red-purple. -   Sepals:     -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—Five in a single whorl, one modified             into an elongated spur.         -   Calyx length.—About 3 mm.         -   Calyx diameter.—About 1 mm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, upper and lower surfaces.—RHS 147C Yellow-green.         -   Spur length.—About 2 cm.         -   Spur diameter.—At flower, about 2 mm, at apex, less than 1             mm.         -   Spur color.—RHS 58D Red-purple at flower, at apex RHS 64A             Red-purple. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length.—About 1 cm.         -   Diameter.—About 1 mm.         -   Angle.—About 45° from vertical.         -   Strength.—Strong.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 148B Yellow-green. -   Reproductive organs: -   Stamens:     -   -   Quantity.—Five fused around stigma.         -   Anther length.—About 2 mm.         -   Anther color.—RHS 61A Red-purple.         -   Pollen amount.—None observed.         -   Pistils — Quantity per flower.—One.         -   Pistil length.—About 3 mm.         -   Stigma shape.—Rounded.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 61A Red-purple.         -   Style color.—RHS 147A Yellow-green.         -   Ovary color.—RHS 147A Yellow-green.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Plants of the new Impatiens have not     been observed to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Impatiens. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of mini Impatiens plant named ‘Immiviol’, as substantially illustrated and described herein. 